Let’s start with the biggest and most obvious change: The June 28-30 festival has moved from its previous home of downtown Mount Clemens to the spacious and wooded grounds of Freedom Hill County Park in Sterling Heights.

Organizers say the move gives them more room for bigger events and activities, but festival-goers may also enjoy a bit more elbow room while sitting down for some refreshments or taking a break from the action.

Now in its seventh year, S&S also has new attractions including the white tiger exhibit and Monster Truck rides.

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The concerts are the main draw and this year’s festival presents a number of well-known national acts who are at interesting points in their careers:

* Legendary country singer Randy Travis has become a living country music-style song with his well publicized run-ins with the law last year. The six-time Grammy Award winner has nearly two dozen No.1 hits that keep his audience coming back for more.

* The funky Kool & the Gang ride into town right after finishing a tour with hard rockers Van Halen and right before hitting the road with hometown hero Kid Rock.

* Halestorm, featuring singer Lzzy Hale, arrives with serious media buzz after the band won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in February for “Love Bites (So Do I)” and sizzling from a relentless tour schedule.

Aside from music, a variety of other attractions include many youngster-oriented acts and costumed characters.

Here is a brief look at what festival goers need to know:

Music

There are more than 100 performances on four different stages throughout the weekend. Headlining in the amphitheater are Randy Travis and Jocaine, June 28; Cake and Chaos Rains, June 29; and Kool & the Gang and Dave Hamilton Band, June 30.

Other great acts such as Halestorm, Puddle of Mudd, Collective Soul, Everlast, Drowning Pool, Kaleido and others will play the Budweiser National Stage. The 89X stage will feature Amy Gore, Hush, White Shag, and more, and the Fresh 100.3 stage will host U2 and Kiss tribute bands along with a number of children’s acts.

While all of the music is free, there are VIP seats on sale for the amphitheater shows.

Carnival Midway

Wade Carnival Rides has expanded its offerings into two sections - a kiddie area with 12 rides and a main area with 16 thrilling rides along with numerous games and food vendors. Tickets may be purchased individually or there is an all-day wristband for $20. Discount vouchers are available at participating Big Boy locations while supplies last.

Attractions

Plenty of free attractions will be available including a petting zoo, camel rides, white tigers, art fair, and Shell-Camino Monster Trucks. (Note: Veterans can receive a 25 percent discount on art sales.)

One of the most popular events is the Banana Derby featuring monkeys racing on dogs. For more fun, check out the Fearless Flores motorcycle daredevils, a BMX Stunt Show, and a Classic K9 Show featuring dogs and trainers from around North America.

Fireworks

An 18-minute fireworks display boasting some 2,000 shells of various sizes will close out the festival Sunday night. It’s presented by Melrose Pyrotechnics, the award-winning Indiana-based company that has provided a similar show for years in Mount Clemens.

Getting there, parking

Parking is available both on- and off-site. To park in the Freedom Hill lot, the fee is $15.

There is also free shuttle service offered from two locations, running from 2 p.m.-midnight all three days. Two 48-seat shuttles will run non-stop from Bishop Gallagher athletic complex on Utica Road south of Metropolitan Parkway. Another shuttle will from the Meijer store at 15 Mile and Utica roads.

For anyone riding their bicycles into the park, there will be racks near the entrance with security agents stationed at the site for free.

Other stuff

Freedom Hill County Park is located at 14900 Metropolitan Parkway (16 Mile Road), east of Schoenherr, Sterling Heights.

Festival hours are 2 p.m.-midnight June 28; noon-midnight June 29; and noon-11 p.m. June 30.

Wear comfortable shoes for walking. The weather forecast is calling for highs near 80 degrees with a slight chance of rain for all three days.